The ranks of the Labour Party in Nigeria have received another significant boost with the formal welcome of Mr Valentine Ozigbo, a Nigerian business mogul, into the party.

Ozigbo’s well attended welcome in Lagos was presided over by the Labour Party’s National Working Committee, led by Barr. Julius Abure, the Labour Party National Chairman and Mr Peter Obi, the Presidential Candidate of the party.

At a press briefing held at Colonades Hotel, Ikoyi, Lagos, on Wednesday, August 23, 2022, Ozigbo expressed optimism about Nigeria’s future in light of the possibilities of the youths taking over the country as he extolled Obi’s virtues.

Mr Obi, in his brief remarks, welcomed Ozigbo to the Labour Party and thanked him for joining the movement to take back Nigeria. He called on all lovers of Nigeria to join hands with him, the Labour Party, and the Obidient Movement to save Nigeria from the looming total collapse.

“The wealth of nations is not natural resources, space, or land mass. The wealth of nations is determined by production. For us to turn the fortune of Nigeria around, we must shift from consumption to production and begin exporting manufactured goods,” Obi declared.

“Right now, Nigerians are exporting their children to foreign countries. You ask Nigerians where are your children? They will tell you, ‘They are in Canada’ or America, or UK.

“But Canadian children are not anywhere, they are with their parents in Canada. American children are with their parents in America, and British children are in the UK. But Nigerians are exporting their children abroad because their country is not secure, it is not stable, and it is not working. These are the developments that we are here to arrest.

“We must work hard to turn the trajectory around. Nigerians, particularly the youth, deserve a better country. We must sacrifice for our society to work.

“We have to create jobs for our youths. We are not going to create these jobs by electing those who live by tribe, live by religion, or live by division. We must do away with the politics of dancing and sharing money and embrace the politics of fixing the country.

“We must entrench competent leaders who are ready to work to secure the country, to bring back stability. Leaders who live by showing love to one another,” Obi proclaimed.

Ozigbo, a multiple-award-winning global CEO, thanked the Labour Party leadership for the warm reception since he joined their fold and declared that the Labour Party is his natural home, given his relationship with Mr Obi, the party’s presidential flagbearer.

Barr. Julius Abure, the National Chairman of the Labour Party, revealed the party does not accept “just anybody” and that a person must meet the criteria for integrity, a proven track record of competence, a good reputation, and a life of the ideals of fairness and inclusiveness.

“I am proud to tell you that Mr Valentine Ozigbo meets these criteria and even goes further to embody everything good about the Labour Party,” Barr. Abure declared.

“You are welcome to the Labour Party, and let me use this occasion to assure you of a level playing field and fairness at all times. Everyone is equal in Labour Party; there are no favourites.”

While responding, Mr Ozigbo, who is the immediate past President and Group CEO of Transcorp Plc, said, “Joining the Labour Party was the easiest decision because, in Labour, I have found peace and love. I am grateful for the warm embrace for me and my political movement led by Chief Tony Offiah.

“With my relationship with His Excellency Peter Obi as my elder brother, my boss, my friend, and my leader, there is no way he would be running for president, and I would be somewhere else.

“This is where I belong, and I reiterate that I am 100% Obidient and #Obidient to the core,” he declared to loud applause.

Continuing, Ozigbo touched on the upcoming 2023 election, saying that, “Our mission to Take Back Nigeria is well underway, and Peter Obi is fully committed to doing what it takes to rescue the destiny of Nigerian youth from the chains of visionless, incompetent, and self-serving leadership.

“Nigerians are blessed to witness the radiance of a generational leader who comes to the task with the kind of sincerity and compassion I see in Peter Obi. Together, we will take back Nigeria,” he said.

Mr Ozigbo is the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the 2021 Anambra gubernatorial election, who resigned from his role at Transcorp Plc to dedicate the next chapter of his life to public service.

One of Nigeria’s most recognisable philanthropists, Ozigbo’s political story is one of the most inspiring in Nigeria’s recent history, and he was honoured with the Anambra Man of the Year Award 2021 and the Democracy Personality of the Year 2021 Award, an honour he dedicated to Peter Obi, a celebrated former governor of Anambra State.

Dignitaries at the event were Alh. Umar Farouk Ibrahim, the National Secretary of the Labour Party; Comrade Clement Ojukwu, the National Organising Secretary of the Labour Party; Chief Tony Offiah, the leader of the Valentine Ozigbo Political Movement in Anambra State, Sir Izuchukwu Oraelosi, the General Manager of the VCO Foundation; Aziza Uko, the Director of Media and Communications for the VCO Campaign Organisation; Mr Chris Okpala, the founder and leader of the Obidient Movement and the exco of the group; Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, the Labour Party’s Governorship Candidate for Lagos State; Chief Andy Azike, the Labour Party candidate for House of Reps for Aguata Federal Constituency; Princess Nikky Ugochukwu, the Labour Party candidate for House of Reps for Orumba North and South Federal Constituency;  Comrade Ugo Eme, the Chairman of Labour Party Anambra State Chapter; Hon. Olukayode Saloko, the Chairman of Labour Party Lagos State Chapter; and several others.